Perfectly Yours, Imperfectly Me | Lianne's Story
Lianne Cawley on Intuition, Illness, and Authentic Branding
Some moments stop you mid-stride and interrupt the pace you’ve been keeping to ask: What actually matters now?
In this episode, I sat down with Lianne Cawley, a contributor to The Embers We Carry, to talk about how a cancer diagnosis reshaped her relationship with perfectionism, productivity, and the way she shows up in both life and work.
Her chapter in Volume 3 of the Lighthouse Series is a reflection on what happens when the body invites you into something truer, quieter, and far more sustainable.
When the Body Changes the Conversation
Like many high-achieving women, Lianne was deeply familiar with pushing through. Strategy, discipline, and perfectionism had served her well in business. Finding herself on a cancer treatment journey forced her to pause in ways she never had before.
The experience shifted her perspective on success. Instead of asking how to do more or do it better, she began asking what felt aligned. What felt honest. What her intuition had been trying to say all along.
Letting Go of Perfectionism
A central theme in Lianne’s chapter is perfectionism, not as a personality trait, but as a coping mechanism. She spoke openly about how striving for perfection had once felt protective. It kept things controlled. Predictable. Safe. But cancer dismantled that illusion, revealing that control is never guaranteed.
Her experiences help Lianne to trust herself rather than chasing external validation, and how that shift softened her work and her life in unexpected ways.
Branding That Starts With the Person
This personal transformation deeply influenced Lianne’s work as the founder of Chapter 35, her branding and design studio. Her belief is that meaningful branding doesn’t begin with strategy decks or polished visuals. It begins with story. With identity. With helping clients reconnect to who they actually are, not who they think they should be. Lianne emphasized that when people feel safe enough to tell the truth about themselves, their brands naturally become clearer, more resonant, and more human.
Intuition Over Formula
A powerful takeaway from the conversation was Lianne’s move away from rigid formulas. While strategy still has its place, she now prioritizes intuition. Listening inward. Allowing space for creativity and uncertainty. Trusting that clarity emerges when we stop forcing outcomes. This philosophy is at the heart of her Very Good Branding Workshop, happening March 5 in Edmonton, where she helps business owners step out of performative branding and into alignment.
Why This Story Matters
Lianne’s chapter speaks to anyone who has ever tied their worth to output, perfection, or external success. Her story reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful growth comes not from adding more, but from letting go. From trusting intuition over urgency.
Volume 3 of The Embers We Carry launches April 11, and Lianne will be speaking at the Lighthouse Summit in Calgary, sharing insights from her journey and the work she now brings into the world.
“Cancer changed how I measure success. I stopped chasing perfection and started listening.”
About Lianne
Contributor to The Embers We Carry
Writes about cancer, perfectionism, and redefining success
Founder of Chapter 35, a branding and design studio
Believes authentic branding begins with personal story and self-connection
Shifted from strategy-first work to intuition-led creation after a health scare
Host of the Very Good Branding Workshop (March 5, Edmonton)
